Italian aircraft interiors specialist Geven’s Essenza economy class seat has been wowing passengers for several years, including on twinjets flown by Lufthansa Group carriers. Even when pitched at sub-30” to support high-density seating layouts, lightweight Essenza’s lean profile ensures that passengers have expansive legroom. But does the slimline nature of Essenza preclude it from being integrated with seatback inflight entertainment (IFE) displays? The answer, it would seem, is unquestionably no, as AERQ demonstrated this year on stand at both the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg and the APEX/IFSA Global EXPO in Long Beach, California.
A joint venture between MRO giant Lufthansa Technik and South Korean multinational technology conglomerate LG, Hamburg-based AERQ is working to digitize aircraft cabins through AERENA, an open IT platform that facilitates rapid media updates and consists of cabin signage with high-definition OLED screens and in-seat displays. Lufthansa Group leisure carrier Discover Airlines — the rebrand of Eurowings Discover — is expected to trial the AERENA platform inclusive of in-seat monitors on board an Airbus A320 in the first quarter of 2024. “The teams are getting things ready for it,” AERQ director of marketing, communications & partnerships Verena Bintaro told Runaway Girl Network.
Fascinated by this aircraft seat/IFE integration project, RGN spoke to AERQ sales director Robert Weißenborn at Global EXPO to learn more. He explained that AERQ and Naples-based Geven worked “quite well together” to get “a good design” that integrates the monitor into the seat in a customized fashion.
The two parties “designed with Geven a new kind of bezel” to support the AERQ monitor, explained Weißenborn.
“It’s working quite well here, and we see no complaints at this point for the integration of the monitor,” he added in reference to the IFE/seat integration project executed in anticipation of the Discover flight trial.
For this flight test programme, a decision was taken not to offer a tilt mechanism for the screen — a tradeoff, explained Weißenborn, that ensures the solution can be quickly installed on aircraft without requiring 24 months to design a new seat.
However, other seats in Geven’s portfolio, and indeed from other seatmakers, can easily integrate AERQ’s monitors with a tilt mechanism, he added.
The IFE display is seamlessly integrated with Geven’s Essenza slimline seat.
AERQ’s current 14” displays suit the configuration of Discover’s A320 for the flight trial, and the screens are available today.
But Weißenborn also revealed that development is well underway for larger-sized monitors to support long-range aircraft configurations and premium cabins. “We are turning out 15.6” and 17.3” monitors and maybe even bigger,” he said.
Some European airlines offer a Eurobusiness product by blocking the middle seat in the booking process. AERQ’s in-seat displays were showcased on the seatbacks of a Discover Airlines seat-triple, branded as business.
At the 2022 and 2023 Aircraft Interiors Expos in Hamburg, AERQ also showcased IFE/seat integration projects involving Recaro Aircraft Seating and ZIM, respectively. And indeed, Weißenborn confirmed to RGN that the company has been talking to “all” the major seat suppliers around the world.
AERQ’s broader proposition, meanwhile, involves rapid updating of media to aircraft to address “the biggest pain point” of IFE for airlines, said Bintaro.
“They want to update it as quickly as possible. How can they do that? And with AERENA Experience Studio, you can do that within days,” she said of the web application and e-commerce standards being brought to aircraft cabins through the studio. This not only ensures rapid delivery of content and apps, but provides a virtual preview to the airline without requiring managers to travel to the IFE supplier for a test drive.
AERQ demonstrated the process at Global EXPO, fielding terrific feedback from airline attendees.
The IFE/seat integration executed by AERQ and Geven for the forthcoming Discover Airlines trial aboard an Airbus A320. Image: Mary Kirby
Related Articles:
- Eurowings Discover becomes Discover Airlines in compelling rebrand
- Recaro Aircraft Seating CEO flags continued shortage of IFE parts
- Geven Essenza sparkles as Austrian A320 Eurobusiness
- AERQ completes HIC testing; introduces AERENA Experience Studio
- Lufthansa turns to Lufthansa Technik for 747-8 first class suites
- AERQ presents new use cases for OLED screens in the cabin
All images credited to Mary Kirby
